Do You Desire the Day of the Lord?

Let's title today, Do You Desire the Day of the Lord? And are you praying, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven? It seems like almost two contradictory things because based on scriptures that we shall read, it seems that to desire the Day of the Lord is not what you need to be doing. But on the other hand, even Christ prayed, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

So many today talk about living in the last days, and they want to hear about the last days. It seems that people are almost willing to believe anything. Just tell me about the end times. Just tell me about the last days. People have always had this great curiosity with regard to the end times. You know the disciples in Matthew 24.3 asked Christ privately, what are the signs of your coming in the end of this age? But on the other hand, it's amazing to see how gullible people are, how susceptible they are to being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. If I can just hear something about the end times, no matter what the source is, then that's really what I want to hear, because that seems to really tickle the intellect.

The desire for this age to come to an end and for the kingdom of God to be established on earth is a desire I'm sure that we all share. But that desire, if misguided, could lead to you being deceived, to me being deceived, and tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.

So and so says such and such, and did you hear what so and so said?

Let's turn to 2 Timothy 4, verse 2. 2 Timothy 4, verse 2. I wonder how well we are really watching, as Christ said in Luke 21, 36, watch and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape the things that come upon the earth. That's not a suggestion, really. It's Christ saying, watch and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape the things that are coming upon the earth.

In 2 Timothy 4, verse 2, Paul writes, Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove. And the Greek word here for reprove is elyncho, and it means convict.

There are two convicting agents in the spiritual sense. There are two convicting agents in the spiritual sense. Those two agents are the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, convict, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, sound teaching. But after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. Have any of us been turned to fables? Do we really know and know that we know what we believe? But watch you in all things endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist make full proof of your ministry. The Apostle Paul also writes in 1 Corinthians 8.1, Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies. And I come back to a question that I have asked for a long time. I remember the first time that I ever gave a sermon titled this. I gave it up in Gilmer several years ago. Are you on a knowledge trip or are you on a conversion trip? Let's go to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1. 1 Corinthians 13 and verse 1. 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I got thee spiritual love. 1 Corinthians 13. They were hung up on spiritual gifts.

They thought that a measure, the great measure of your spirituality depended on whether or not you spoke in spiritual gifts. Paul brings this out in chapter 1. 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape, spiritual love, and God is love. And another way to word that is, if I'm not becoming as God is, if I'm not becoming as God is, if I'm not becoming love as God is, I become as sounding brass or a tinkling symbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, and have not charity, if I'm not becoming as God is, I am nothing. Nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, if I'm not becoming as God is, it profits me. It profits me nothing. Then Paul gives a description there of charity, what spiritual love is like, and how spiritual love behaves. Jesus Christ, as I've already mentioned in the model prayer, prayed, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we all deeply desire to see that day the kingdom of God be established here on the earth. We all desire to see that day if we are among the very elect. Now, if we're not among the very elect, it won't be a pretty sight, and even for some of the very elect. Not everybody is going to be protected during the Great Tribulation in the Day of the Lord. But hopefully, you will be. Hopefully I will be if that time comes while I'm still alive, or if you're still alive. But the events that must transpire before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord are frightful to contemplate. Let's go to Amos 5, verse 16, one of the minor prophets. To some degree, Amos has the theme of the Day of the Lord, but not altogether as some of the other shorter prophets like Joel and Zephaniah do, but to some degree. Amos was a gatherer of figs. He was just a plain old country boy. He wasn't a prophet. He wasn't from a family of prophets. He wasn't from the school of prophets. He was, as I said, just a country boy that God called to go prophesy, especially against the northern kingdom. In Amos 5, verse 16, Therefore the eternal God of hosts, the Lord says thus, Wailing shall be in all streets, and they shall say in all the highways, Alas, alas, and they shall call the husband to mourning, that is, M-O-U-R to mourning, and such is our skillful of lamentation to wailing. It is a very serious and difficult time.

And in all vineyards shall be wailing, for I will pass through you, says the Eternal, Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! I remember in covering this and minor prophets, I taught the minor prophets for years at Ambassador, and some students would just be perplexed, and it is somewhat perplexing, because here is woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord, and the day of the Lord has to come before the kingdom of God is established. So you sort of have a bit of cognitive dissonance, as they say there, with regard to this. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! Now, in the Bible and in the prophecies, anytime that God directly intervenes in the affairs of man, that's like a day of the Lord. But then there's this ultimate day of the Lord that comes with the opening of the sixth seal, which we'll read in just a moment. This is talking about that ultimate day. Woe to you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light, even very dark and no brightness in it. Now, there are other scriptures that we'll read that talk about what's going to happen during that period of time with regard to the heavenly bodies and all of that. Then he begins to describe what he was so upset, he being God, so upset about with regard to Israel. I hate, I despise your feast days. Remember, Jeroboam had changed the feast from the seventh month to the eighth month. And I will not smell in your solemn assemblies, that is, the wafting of the incense that's coming up.

Though you offer me burnt offerings or meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beast. So they were diligent to offer sacrifice, but judgment, mercy, and faith they had forgotten. Now let's go to Revelation chapter 6. The ultimate day of the Lord begins with the opening of the sixth seal. Revelation chapter 6. Quick review, as you recall, Revelation should stop over in Revelation 1.10 and get the time frame of the book of Revelation. Basically, the events in Revelation center around the day of the Lord. We have a mistranslation in the King James Bible of Kureh-e-Kimeirah. In Revelation 1.10, I was in the Spirit on the day of the Lord. King James translated it in Lord's Day because they were Sunday keepers.

But once again, the Greek is Hekurake-Kimeirah, and it means day of the Lord. Identical Greek translated correctly in 1 Thessalonians 5.2, which we'll read later. I was in the Spirit on the day of the Lord and heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet. We'll talk more about that trumpet. Now to Revelation chapter 6. In Revelation 6, verse 12, I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became his blood. I mean, anybody can look up and see that, these heavenly signs. Here is the beginning of the day of the Lord, the opening of the sixth seal. And the stars of heaven fell, stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig cast her untimely figs, those that don't get ripe and rotten, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. There's a lot of symbolic language here. Angels are counted as stars, and fallen angels are counted as stars. God is going to shake the existing governing structure of this earth. He's going to change it as a person might change a garment. The earth and the universe are going to have a change of garments and a new government. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their place. And the kings of the earth and the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, the mighty men, every bondman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fallen us, hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. See, this is God's doings. This is not man's doings. This is God supernaturally intervening.

For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? Now, we should read 16 again because you can read over it just as I did then.

And said to the mountains and rocks, fallen us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, God the Father, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? Now, God's desire is that we repent and turn to him, that we rend our hearts and surrender and submit to him. You know, sometimes I wonder, is God on a countdown to the end of this age? That is, has God set a definite day, regardless of what humans do, in which the sixth seal of Revelation 6 we just read here will be opened, and the day of the Lord begins? I guess you can try to build a case either way for that as a definite day. And if you talk about the countdown in Daniel 12 and other places, one of these sad things about after the day of the Lord begins, I don't see any evidence in the Bible of anyone repenting after the day of the Lord begins.

If you look at Revelation 9, the last couple of verses there, Revelation 8, you have the four trumpet plagues that affect the environment.

Then Revelation 9, you have the first and second woe, the fifth and sixth trumpet plagues.

And you look at those last two verses in Revelation 9, and the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not, that the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold and silver, and brass and stone, and of wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk, neither repented of their murders nor their sorceries nor their fornication, nor of their thefts. So I don't know any place that shows that after the day of the Lord begins that there is any repentance going on. Also, you wonder from time to time, has God set a definite day for the marriage supper of the Lamb and the return of Jesus Christ and the saints that are described in Revelation 19? Does it matter what humans do with regard to the beginning of the day of the Lord? Is there anything we can do to, quote, speed it up? Is there anything that humans are doing to, quote, slow it down?

Let's note the prophet Joel. He might shed some light. Joel chapter 2.

In Joel chapter 2 and verse 1, 1, Blow you the trumpet in Zion. The trumpet is likened unto the human voice.

In December of 1982, Mr. Armstrong set out a co-worker letter to, I'm pretty sure it was a co-worker letter, not just a member letter, in which he called for a fast on New Year's Day, January 1, 1983.

And New Year's Day that day fell on a Sabbath, and we were right there where the Orange Parade begins, and so I remember it well as we were kept up most of the night with all the noise and so on and carrings on. It was pretty difficult to fast that kind of environment. I told this story to those that were at the Bible study, and he likened this as it obviously is. This is a message to the church. Blow you the trumpet in Zion, zion, symbolic of the church, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble for the day of the Lord comes for it is nigh at hand. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness. As the morning spread upon the mountains, great people and a strong, there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. The day of the Lord. Now we'll be coming back to Joel 2 in just a moment. Let's go to Revelation 1 again. Revelation 1 where John says that he was in the spirit on the day of the Lord and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying I am Alpha and Omega the first and the last. So the trumpet can be used symbolically for the human voice. Now we go to Hebrews chapter 12 and we identify Zion. Of course, these scriptures should already be memorized anyhow, but the more you can read it, get it into your senses, the more apt you are to remember it. In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22, you are coming to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Remember in Galatians 5, 26, Jerusalem above, the mother of us all, the heavenly Jerusalem to a innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and of the church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Now we go to Isaiah 58 verse 1. In Isaiah 58 verse 1, once again, the voice and the trumpet and lifting up the voice and the command here from God and Joel, which we'll go back to in just a second. In Isaiah 58, 1, cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression in the house of Jacob their sin. So the command here, we'll go back to Joel 2, is blow you the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord comes, it is nigh at hand. Verse 2, which we've already read, is a day of darkness, and the day of the Lord comes, verse 2, which we've already read, is a day of darkness, which we've already talked about as well.

Then, Joel begins to describe what's coming upon them at that particular time, similar to what you read in Revelation chapter 9. But I want to pick it up again in verse 12.

Therefore also now says the Eternal, turn you even to me.

With all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, see in view of these things, the day of the Lord is near, it is even nigh, it is even at hand. What should be your response? Rend your heart, and not your garments. Turn of the eternal your God, for he is gracious and merciful, and slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the littereah, the calamity, the upset. In other words, he might change his mind and not bring about the upset.

That's the intent of this verse. Who knows if he will return and change his mind, and leave a blessing behind him, even a meat offering, and a drink offering, unto the eternal your God, all of which had been removed in chapter 1.

So then, that's why sometimes I wonder, well, does God have a definite deadline in mind, a definite time, a definite countdown, a certain day out there?

Or does it matter what we do? I tend to think he has a definite countdown, but I don't know for sure.

Let's look at everything we have here today.

We come back to this verse 15, similar to verse 1. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, set apart a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the people, set apart the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, those that suck the breasts, let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber. So the time is very near, similar to Matthew 25. The bridegroom knocks on the door and five foolish virgins and five wives.

Let the bridegroom go out of his chamber and the bride out of her closet.

Let the priests, the ministers of the eternal wheat between the porch and the altar, let them say, Spare your people, O eternal, and give not your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then, when will the eternal be jealous for his land and pity his people? When? It seems that it's after they do what is written there in 12, 13, 14 down to that point.

Yes, the eternal will answer and say to his people, Behold, I will send you corn and wine and oil, and you shall be satisfied therewith, and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.

But I will remove far off from you the northern army will drive them into the land barren and desolate with his face toward the east sea and his hindre part toward the utmost sea, and his stinks shall come up and his ill saver shall come up because he's done great things. It sounds like the northern army does his thing, but because the people do fast and pray and do the things that God commands them to do, then God takes care of this northern army and drives them away.

Now note in Joel chapter 2 verse 28, Joel chapter 2 verse 28, And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids, and those days will I pour out my spirit. Now Peter quotes these verses here. He quotes 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 on the day of Pentecost. And he says that in the last days—we're going to read in a moment the various places in the Bible where the last days were that is used—in some cases, the last days, day of Pentecost, some cases when Jesus Christ came on the scene, some cases at the beginning of the millennium. So just from the phrase, the last days, it's very difficult to identify exactly what is meant by the last days altogether.

Verse 29, And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids, and those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord. Just like we read from Revelation 6, verses 12 through 16.

And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. Now we go to Acts chapter 2.

We might read Acts 2 again, but the apostle Peter quotes this very quote here and applies it to the Holy Spirit being sent, but there will be a greater fulfillment and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit during the time of the millennium. In Acts chapter 2, verse 16, but this is that which is spoken by the prophet Joel, that it shall come to pass, and the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. And so what we just read from Joel, he quotes. So in one sense, the last days began right here. But that was two thousand years ago when the Holy Spirit was first poured out. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, it shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out my Spirit.

God sends warning messages in different ways through the human voice and through various signs. So let's go back and notice Amos. Amos once again, Amos chapter 4, beginning verse 6.

But don't get confused. Some are saying I'm already confused. Because it is possible, and as we shall see as we go along, to see which period of time is definitely being spoken of in each case. But in that sense of the last days, when the Holy Spirit was sent, Peter says this was spoken of by the prophet Joel in the last days. So when the phrase last days is used, you have to identify the context and the setting and all of that.

In Amos chapter 4 verse 6, here are some of the ways that God pleads with people, the signs that He gives with regard to.

He's pleading with them, calling them to repentance, asking them to get ready, and saying, And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. Cleanness of teeth is famine, and want of bread in all your places. Most prophecy is written in parallelism, which means it's stated one way in the first phrase and another way in the second phrase, but the meaning is essentially the same. Cleanness of teeth in your cities is same as want of bread in all your places. You have not returned unto Me, says the Eternal, and also I withheld the rain from you, and there were yet three months to the harvest. I caused it to rain upon one city, causing not to rain upon another city.

One piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

So two or three cities wandered into one city to drink water, but they were not satisfied. Yet have you not returned unto Me, says the Eternal. I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew. When your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the pommel worm devoured them. Yet you have not returned unto Me, says the Eternal.

I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. Your young men have a slain with a sword. How many young men have been slain by the sword in the past 150 years? And we were to go back to the Civil War up to the present time, roughly a period of 150 years. How many young men of this nation have shed their blood? Thousands upon thousands. And have taken away your horses. I have made the stink of your camps to come up in your nostrils.

Yet you have not returned unto Me, says the Eternal. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. And you were as a fire-blend plucked out of the burning. Yet you have not returned unto Me, says the Eternal. Therefore thus will I do unto you, O Israel, because I will do this unto you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.

In some places you see the signs along the roadside that says, Prepare to meet your God. It's a direct quote out of Amos.

For lo, he that formed the mountains and created the wind and declares unto man what is his thought. Notice that. And declares unto man what is his thought. God has revealed to us in his word what his thoughts are, what his mind is, what he wants us to do, that makes the morning darkness treads upon the high places of the earth. The Eternal of Host is his name, this God, the Creator God, the Great God, the one who formed breath within us.

We have people who believe that the establishment of the kingdom of God is dependent upon the Church preaching the Gospel to the whole world based on Matthew 24.14. Let's turn there. Matthew 24.14.

Just after United began, I was on that initial permanent council, not on the interim council in 95, but beginning in January of 96. And we had an education committee. I was on the education committee and we started talking about what can we do educational programs for the Church, what can we do for adult education, general education in the sense of the whole Church, what can we do for the youth in Sabbath school, can we have some kind of like ABC or Ambassador College or institution of higher learning. And I got one letter that said from one woman, said, we all know that God is too, and that all we got to do is preach the Gospel in the kingdom of God, and all of you ministers need to forget about all these education programs and everything else, and just preach the Gospel so the kingdom can come. So I know those thoughts are out there.

Matthew 24, 14, and the Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

So therefore, there are people that believe that the Church should basically put all of its resources into preaching the Gospel to the world, so the end will come. The sooner you get that done, the sooner the kingdom will be done, and you can speed up the coming of the kingdom by doing that.

Now, I'm not sure that's what that means. I think we need to look at it.

So forget about educational programs, feeding the flock. Let's preach down the kingdom, and the kingdom will come. Let's go to John 21.

John 21.

John 21 and verse 14.

Remember, after the resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to the disciples at least three times.

He was with them off and on for 40 days.

But even then, even after witnessing the crucifixion and him appearing to them, Peter and some of the others said, I go fishing, and they went fishing. We thought this was the one, but apparently not.

John 21.14. This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples. After that, he was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, you know the story of the they had fished all night, had caught nothing. Jesus came and said, cast on this side, and they had so many fishes they could hardly bring them in. And then they dined on fish.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, love you more than these.

And he said unto him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And he said unto him, Feed my lambs. He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, love you me.

He said unto him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said unto me, Set unto him, Feed my lambs. Or, feed my sheep.

He said unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, you love me.

Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, do you love me? And he said unto him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep. Now, of course, Jesus had commissioned the church in addition to this in Matthew 28, 19 and 20.

In Matthew 28, 19 and 20, he says, Go, you therefore, into all the world, and disciple all nations, teach them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you, and lo, I'm with you, even unto the end of the age. So that part of taking the gospel to the world was also a part of what Christ commanded the disciples to do, the apostles.

So in the United Church of God, on our motto, it says at the top, preaching the gospel and preparing a people. And that's what we have striven to do in trying to take care of the church and the local congregations in every way that we possibly can in providing a minister to the best of our ability, a pastor to every local church. Because we know what happens when people do not have a shepherd, do not have a pastor, do not have someone who preaches faithfully the Word of God. Wolves come in, devour the flock, take them away, and even with preaching the truth to the very best of your ability. Now, I have had a situation where I preached for 10 years and poured my guts out. And somebody comes along in a matter of a month or so, half or gone. So I'm not saying they're lost, but they're not with the United anymore, let's say that. Let's go to 1 Peter, chapter 5. Peter did get the message. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. 1 Peter 5 and verse 1.

The elders which are among you I exhort, whom also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed, feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, he shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away. Now, on the other hand, we have people who say, and some of this has died away in recent times, that the work has already been done. And all we have to do is wait for the return of Jesus Christ. And to some, the work has always been out there somewhere. It's outside. It's not within me. It's out there. And if you people at the home office or wherever it is could get your act together and you could just preach the gospel to the world, then everything would be all right and Christ could come. The kingdom could be set up. And it's as if what's happening with us? Where is the work? And what is the work? Well, according to this, it has at least two aspects to it. Let's go now to John chapter 6. Yeah, this has to do with the day of the Lord because some think that you can preach down the kingdom of God. Some think that you just shelve everything else, and all you do is pour all of your resources into that. In John 6 verse 27, Jesus speaking, labor not for the meat which perishes or the food, but for that food which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you for him hath God the Father sealed. Then they said unto him, What shall we do that we might work the works of God? So Jesus gives the answer to the work of God.

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent, the work of God. Of course, to believe on Christ everything that he taught and said. And we tend to forget about the work that God is doing within each one of us. Verse 35, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst. Time after time, Jesus Christ comes back to this theme of believing on him and having eternal life and eating and drinking of the bread of life. Verse 47, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread of life which comes down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The sacrifice of Christ is not divided. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Of course, the way we do that is through ingesting the Word of life, the Word of God. Verse 63, the words I speak, they are spirit and they are life.

John was given the messages to the seven churches.

And note the message to the church at Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 1. The message to the seven churches.

We're talking about the work of God.

What does God want us to do in doing the work?

In Revelation 2, 1, Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things, thus he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, the beginning of each one of these messages has a characteristic of Christ holding the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Of course, the stars are angels, the candlesticks are the churches.

I know your works and your labor and your patience, how you cannot bear them which are evil. You have tried them which say they are apostles and are not and found them liars.

We've been through that.

Have borne and have patience, and for my namesake have labored and have not fainted.

Nevertheless, I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. This is far more than just losing this first flush of how wonderful the truth is in staying up into the wee hours of morning and studying.

It can be some of that, but it's more than that. Remember therefore from whence you are fallen and repent. So it is whatever is taking place here is a sin.

And do the first works. Now in Matthew 23 verse 23, Jesus Christ says, You pay tithe the mint anise and come in, and have omitted the weightier matters. Let me go back and quote it again. You pay tithe the mint anise and come in. These ought you have done and not to leave the other undone. And that is judgment, mercy, and faith, the weightier matters of the law. Remember therefore from whence you have fallen, repent and do the first works.

The first works have to do with repentance and faith.

Or else I will come unto you quickly and remove your candlestick out of its place, except you repent. And if the candlestick is removed out of the bowl, see the vision from Zechariah chapter 4, the seven candlesticks are in the bowl, and the olive trees on either side, the oil coming down in the bowl, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, you take the candlestick out, you remove it out of its place. It is not receiving the Holy Spirit.

Repent, or I will remove your candlestick out of your place, His place, except you repent.

But this you have, thus you hate the deeds of the Nicolae Iatums, which I also hate.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches, to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Now we go to Matthew 23 and verse 23.

I submit to you that the first works are to exercise judgment, mercy, and faith with God, and with your brother. And if we had exercised judgment, mercy, and faith with God, and with one another, there's no telling what the church of God could be today.

But since we have refused to do that, we are where we are, and we have to make the most of where we are. And I believe that we have the kind of people today in the United Church of God that are willing to do this, and are doing this, and that we are beginning to see a new age, as it were, dawn in the church. Matthew 23, 23. One of you scribes, firesees, hypocrites, you pay tithe, the men anise, and come in, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought you to have done, and not to leave the other done. See, this is the important part of the work of God. What is going on in our lives, and if that's not right, no matter what we do with regard to how diligently we quote, publish and preach the gospel in a public sense, it is to have no avail if we fail. You know, in the book of Acts, it talks about that they were all of one accord, and God added to the church daily those that should be saved. Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 3, where it says, Paul is, of course, writing in 1 Corinthians 3, and he says, Paul plants, plallus watered, but God gave the increase. And you've got to get all of the three things together. Of course, in Corinth, they were divided over who is the greatest.

Is it Paul, Apollos, Peter, whomever it is.

Let's go now to Philippians chapter 1. More about this work in Philippians chapter 1.

You have to put both of these things together to be ready for the day of the Lord. In Philippians 1.6, Philippians is a prison epistle.

Being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

The only thing that can prevent that is we ourselves. He that has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2 verse 13. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. God is doing a work in us, and it is through our participation in that work that he will bring us into his kingdom and into his family. So no matter what is going on with regard to the preaching of the gospel or signs of the end of the age, if we're not becoming as God is, it's all in vain. Jesus did give definite signs about the end of the age and his coming. So let's look now at Matthew 24.

Matthew 24. In our kingdom of God seminar a few weeks ago, we covered this part right here, but we're going to look at it again in this context. In Matthew 24 and verse 15, remember the question that the disciples asked the first part of this chapter about the sign of your coming and the end of the age. It seems the big visible sign as it were. Matthew 24.15. And when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoso reads, let him understand. And we'll turn just a moment to Daniel and read what Daniel prophesied. So here Jesus Christ gives veracity to the prophet Daniel. Then in verses 16 through 20, certain instructions are given with regard to those who are living in Judea.

And then verse 21, for then when that abomination is placed, abomination of desolation, then shall be great tribulation such as was not since beginning of the world to this time known or ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, or there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.

So the abomination of desolation placed in the holy place, which by everything that we can discern from the scriptures would be in or on around the what is called the temple mount, because that's where God had placed his presence in the temple. Now we go to Daniel 12. Daniel 12 is dealing with the end times. Daniel 12, and at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince, which stands for the children of your people. There should be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, great tribulation, just like we read from Matthew 24-21.

Such as never one was since there was a nation, even at that time, and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one of them that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness to the stars forever and ever. But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even at the time of the end many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Then I, Daniel, looked and beheld, there stood other two, the one on the one side of the bank of the river, and the other on the other side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? Notice what it says, To the end of these wonders. And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives forever, that it shall be for three and a half years.

And when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all of these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. And that word, quetz, q-e-t-s in the Hebrew, means the very end of time. Many shall be purified and made wide and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Now, various ones have speculated with regard to what happens. We read earlier 1260 days, and then here we have 1290 days, and so there's 30 more days here, and some have speculated, well, what happens during these 30 days? I do not know, and neither do they, because there's no place in the Bible that says for sure.

q-blessed is he that waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. So we have the 45 added on to the 30, and that's 75. If you get 360 plus 75, 1335. I mean 1260 plus 75. So exactly what happens during those days, some have speculated, well, the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place, or this, or that, or the other, but you cannot, and if you can, please see me after church, but I'd be happy to.

And we have written on this in the past, and I tried to find it this morning, and some of you may know where it is in the old correspondence courses or somewhere like that, but we have written on this with regard to what some have thought this might mean, but I was not able to find it this morning.

Then he says to Daniel, blessed is he that waits and comes to the 1335 days, but go your way till the end be, for you shall rest and stand in your lot at the end of the days.

There are many events prophesied in the Bible that are associated with the day of the Lord. Now let's notice what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5, and this ties in with what I mentioned about earlier of Jesus Christ's command to watch and pray always.

And when I try to keep us abreast of some of the most significant, prophetic articles that I can track down on the internet, there are probably some that are far more relevant. I don't know, but this is what I can find. And I'd be welcome for you to send me articles too that you think that have great prophetic or some prophetic significance.

And we can include them from time to time in the in the bulletin because we all want to be obeying. We all want to be watching and praying as Christ gave commandment. In 1 Thessalonians 5, 1, But of the times and of the seasons, brethren, you have no need that are right unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord, the same Greek, Hekuriyakehaemera, same as in Revelation 1.10 here, correctly translated, day of the Lord instead of the Lord's day. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night on the world, as we shall see. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as surveil upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. You see, when the two witnesses are killed, somehow you see Satan's deception is so great. Everyone, one whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life, are going to worship the beast system. It says it very clearly in Revelation 13.8. And the two witnesses will prophesy and give their testimony for 1260 days. Then the beast that it sends out of the bottomless pit, this is Revelation 11.7, the beast that it sends out of the bottomless pit will kill the two witnesses. Their bodies align the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days, and then they are resurrected and caught up. And then the peoples of the world send gifts to one another because they say these two who were tormenting us now have been put to death. We don't have anything to worry about. But then, when they're resurrected, I guess there are a million changes, maybe, when they shall say peace into safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as surveil upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness.

I wonder if we are. That that day should overtake you as a thief.

You are the children of light and the children of the day. You are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. That word sober is not what we think of sober today in not being a drunk. It means vigilant, be watchful.

For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, put in on the breastplate of faith, and love, and for, and helmet, the hope of salvation. That's one of the things that I continually emphasize to the students and ambassador of keeping the big picture burning brightly in your minds and in your hearts. See, there needs to be certain anchors of the soul.

And if you keep that big picture burning brightly in your heart and mind of the kingdom of God and what is set before you, and you never let that slip, see, that permeates your mind. The helmet of salvation, the hope of salvation, it's always there.

For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. So whether we are dead or alive when He comes, see, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the air to be with Him forever and ever. That's just across the page there. You can read verse 16. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

You see that what I was talking about that we read that verse from Amos 5, 18, that said, woe unto you the desire of the day of the Lord, for what benefit is it to you? It's a day of gloominess, darkness, but the world has to go through the day of the Lord before the Kingdom of God is established. And at the same time, we want to be praying, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and be prepared for the day of the Lord. So it may be that during that time, this time of tribulation in the day of the Lord, that we will be protected from the wrath that is going to come. Look at Zephaniah now. Zephaniah has this phrase, the day of the Lord, more than any other book in the Bible. And it's the only place in the Bible that just gives a direct recipe or formula, whatever you want to call it, for being hidden during the day of the Lord. This is Zephaniah 2, verse 1. Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O nation, not desired. And that's the church of God. You'll be hated and despised of all nations. For my name's sake. Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chap, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you, seek you the Lord all you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment, seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger during the day of the Lord. So for the world, the day of the Lord is not a day to be desired.

For us, we know that we have to go through it all. That is, all of these events have to take place.

There has to be the great tribulation. There has to be the day of the Lord. And then the establishment of the kingdom of God.

You know, as I said earlier, in, well, we read from Acts chapter 2, verse 16 and 17, where Peter says, and this was what is spoken by the prophet Joel, that in the last days, your old men shall dream dreams and your young maidens and all of that, and applying it to the coming of the Holy Spirit. That was 2,000 years ago. Now you look at Isaiah chapter 2. This is a time that we're looking forward to. And after we go, after the world goes through tribulation, the day of the Lord, we're for sure looking at this time with regard to the last days.

Isaiah chapter 2, my favorite millennial verses. Isaiah 2.1, the word that Isaiah the Son of Amma saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, and it shall come to pass in the last days. This is the beginning of the millennium. It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. The government of God will be established over all the earth, church, and state united.

And many people shall go and say, Come, you, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob, for He will teach us His ways, we will walk in His paths, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Eternal from Jerusalem.

And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning hooks, exactly opposite of what's happening today. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. We go now to Zechariah chapter 6. Zechariah chapter 6, in that wonderful time that is coming, church and state will be combined. Church and state will be combined at that time, and we will be made kings and priests, ruling and reigning with God and Christ forever and ever in the kingdom of God.

In Zechariah chapter 6, verse 12, And speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the eternal host, Behold, the man whose name is the branch, and that is Jesus Christ. Isaiah 11 refers to him as the branch. Whose name is the branch, he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the eternal. Matthew 16, 18, And I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Even he shall build the temple of the eternal. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne. And he shall be a priest upon his throne. And the council of peace shall be between them both, that is, king and priest, church and state united. And Revelation 5.10 will be made kings and priests with God and Christ, and we're going to rule and reign with God and Christ forever and ever in the kingdom of God. So brethren, as we live in the times in which we live, these are surely the times in which so much is going on and so difficult to ferret out what is true and what is false. But I hope that we are really watching and praying and that we don't take for granted anything, and that we always do as the Bereans did. We search the scriptures daily whether these things be true, and we don't take any person's word for it. We take the word of God. Now, the Bereans, they didn't sit there as scoffers and scorners with a hard heart. They had a perfectly teachable heart where it says, and they received the truth with all readiness of mind and search the scriptures daily whether these things be true. So you want to make sure, no matter who says what, that you look at the Bible and you see for yourself, because no one is going to stand before God and Christ for you. We shall all stand and give an account for ourselves. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess. It will be individual, it will be personal. So, brethren, I hope that we have come to understand a little bit more about the day of the Lord and the kingdom of God coming, how that for the world it is a day, it is a time not desired, and none of us really want to go through it per se.

But there is this promise, there is this hope, that it may be that we'll be hid during the day of the Lord. Now, no doubt, based on what it says in Revelation, that there will be some who will die and martyrdom, who will give their lives for what they believe. And in fact, after Satan is cast down and going about seeking whom he made of our knowing he has but a short time, it says in Revelation 12 verse 11, 10 or 11, and they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives until the death.

But those who are fearful, who draw back, and those who are in the category that is described in Matthew 24 verses 7, 8, 9, well, no, it's 9, 10, and 11 long and there, and many shall be offended and shall betray one another. We don't ever want that to be the route that any of us ever take because God has promised, whether we live or whether we die, whether we sleep or whether we're awake, as we just read from 1 Thessalonians 5, we know that our next waking moment will be in the kingdom of God.